Strings popping while in case

It has happened three times to me in the last couple years always on a wound string. Two were baritones, one was a tenor. One set was southcoast, one was worth, the last was a Mya Moe custom Bari set. No rhyme or reason. If there is a commmon denominator, I can't find it. But it was on the saddle every time. I polish my saddles with a diamond fret file and then with stew Mac fret eraser to a very smooth finish. Wounds will tend to wear a small groove on bone in particular. My breaks have happened regardless of a very smooth bearing surface.

I guess I'm not surprised the break tends to happen at the break point either the nut or the saddle. Toss a coin, it's probably 50/50 one or the other will be the break point regardless. They spend more time in the case than out, so it's statistically more probable when the random break happens it will be while slumbering in a case.

librainian said:

It has happened three times to me in the last couple years always on a wound string. Two were baritones, one was a tenor. One set was southcoast, one was worth, the last was a Mya Moe custom Bari set. No rhyme or reason. If there is a commmon denominator, I can't find it. But it was on the saddle every time. I polish my saddles with a diamond fret file and then with stew Mac fret eraser to a very smooth finish. Wounds will tend to wear a small groove on bone in particular. My breaks have happened regardless of a very smooth bearing surface.

I guess I'm not surprised the break tends to happen at the break point either the nut or the saddle. Toss a coin, it's probably 50/50 one or the other will be the break point regardless. They spend more time in the case than out, so it's statistically more probable when the random break happens it will be while slumbering in a case.

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Andrew, you get my vote for most logical reasoning. The "break" point angle says it all. As does the fact they spend much more time in the case so statistically thats where it would break.

slightly off-topic, but are there no wound uke strings or wound classical guitar strings that have a solid fluorocarbon core, as opposed to the silken nylon hairs that seem so common?

Seems to me that these 'hairs' are the weak point and he silverplated-copper winding only or usually, gets injured/indented over time from the frets themselves, and that if the core was fluoro, and not getting direct abrasions due to being wound, that these strings might last longer...

Also, IIRC, Aquila has some classical strings that have the nylgut core, but I've not seem them for sale as singles, and only as a full set for classical guitar...

One other thought, there were some microwound strings, with nylon wrapped over nylon, by Guadalupe, Magma and Kala, and other than excessive string-squeak/finger-noise being a detriment, I wonder if these strings could substitute in for where we might use a normal metal-wound string on the uke, and maybe not be as vulnerable to breakages...

just some food for thought....

If the string is breaking at the saddle - the top of your saddle is too sharp. Its an easy fix with fine grit sandpaper.

I have several of the hygrometers around where my ukes are https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008JL1M4A/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1. A very cheap way of knowing your levels. They are small and can be kept in the case. I too am in Arizona and don't even use the cases unless Im traveling (shame shame! yep, Im a risk taker!)

Right now with the monsoon I am around 35-45% in my rooms. I do try and run a room humidifier but they are loud and DH turns it off. All that terrible info and I have yet to have anything other than a Aquila Red pop.

Rick are you traveling with those ukes? If so, maybe they haven't settled in the case long enough before being taken out and over time they have had to much stress?

I love the Aquila Reds sound on my Outdoor Uke that I keep in the mountain but I haven't had luck with them. However I am going to try it again with the Reds. This time I am going to loosen the tension on the strings after I play and see if that makes a difference. I just watched a vid showing that you keep the string over your finger at the nut when you tighten the tension on the Reds so they don't get friction damage and I am going to smooth out the grooves on the nut just to see if I can save them from this happening again.

Maybe you should loosen the strings before you store them in the case.

Thanks everyone. I did check my LdfM, and there was an indentation where the Oasis humidifier hung off the strings, and the C string popped on that one. So I am calling that one solved. BTW, what would people recommend as an alternative to the Oasis in the soundhole?

The others I will currently write off to MOL. (Mystery Of Life) And thanks for the suggestion, Linda, but it feels like that is an impediment to playing the ukes, since it would take a couple of minutes to tighten them again. . Maybe it's not and I should get over myself <g>.

greenie44 said:

... BTW, what would people recommend as an alternative to the Oasis in the soundhole?...

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Since being a sort of cheapskate at times, for this past winter, I took some smaller ziplock sandwich bags and used a hole punch to put about a dozen holes in the bag, and then a standard kitchen sponge cut in half, soaked and then squeezed 'just' a bit until the dripping stopped then inserted into said bag.

Put bag into soundhole with ziplock parallel to strings, and over-under strings to hold in place.

As per Caliber IV hygrometer, calibrated by 40% salts-method, this cheapo DIY setup keeps humidity at 55% for about 7-10 days in a tolex-covered hard wood case in a room that has RH @ 27% during the winter

Removal and re-wet of sponge was easy, just dont get the bag wet on the outside or the wood on the back of the uke will get wet, as will soundhole label.

Local grocery has an 8-pack of sponges for like $3-$4 and a box of small 20 ziplock bags is another $4 or so

BTW - the ZIPLOCK part acts to hold the bag within the strings, other bags without ziplock will require the use of a paper-clip which I have found will rust and also possible pinch the strings causing a flat-spot from the tension of the paper-clip.

Thing is, this is SUPER cheap, like maybe $1 per humidifier and 5 mins time to make one, and they work perfectly fine, but you have to manually check every 5 days to make sure sponge is not dry.

Hope this helps!

Booli said:

Hope this helps!

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From one cheapskate to another! I like it - and it's really not much more trouble than using the Oasis. Just have to check the sponge a bit more frequently. Thanks, Booli!

sam13 said:

I opened my Pono Baritone case this morning and the wound low D string had popped on me.

I think it might have happened before as well. But not recently.

I was going to change them, but now will for sure. Lol.

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Simon I remember you sent me a video the last time that happened. I believe it was also the baritone !
For me was the strings snapped in the middle on the blackbird when I was on vacation It was so annoying. Traveled all that way to have an unplayable three strings uke